96 | BUILDING Southern Lakes: Green Homes New Zealand - Queenstown Russell Fredric Energy-efficiency for Wakatipu basin Construction of Green Homes Queenstown’s bespoke 280 square metre, two level show home will be started soon in the Hanley’s Farm subdivision. Green Homes New Zealand is set to make its mark in the Wakatipu basin and beyond after establishing a franchise in Queenstown late last year. The company is the only builder in New Zealand to be compliant with the International Standards Organisation for design and construction of energy efficient homes to the ISO 50001 standard. This standard involves the Energy Management System process which covers an additional nine inspections on all aspects of a house. Franchisee Wal Dix brings a solid curriculum vitae to the business and is very much a local, having lived and worked in the building industry in Queenstown for 30 years. Wal entered the industry in the late 1990’s as an adult apprentice and in 2004 started his own business, Fix It Ltd, which is still operating to this day. Having more recently completed a diploma in building surveying, he is looking to become a registered member of the New Zealand Institute of Building Surveyors this year. He is also a certified asbestos management surveyor and has a Betta Inspect It franchise for this arm of work. He sees the Green Homes franchise as a great opportunity to utilise his knowledge and transferable skills, while the relationships he has developed over many years are also an important asset, he says. “I’ve had a lot of support; it’s been quite humbling actually. People get what we are trying to achieve, and they want to be a part of it which is really encouraging, it’s exciting times.” In setting up the Green Homes franchise Wal could hardly believe his luck in securing a highly visible, high traffic, ground floor site in Terrace Junction, Frankton. “We are starting to get some good enquiry now, our marketing is definitely working, social media is a big part of that these days as well as print media.” Green Homes has six specifications that are foundational to achieving an energy efficient, sustainable building. Every home will include a MAXRaft concrete floor for maximum insulation, 140mm exterior walls to enable R4.1 insulation, PVC windows for superior thermal performance, up to R7 roof insulation, a balanced continuous ventilation system to ensure a healthy environment year-round and design-focused thermal modelling for the best possible energy efficiency. “What brought me to Green Homes was seeing some poor outcomes even in new homes. I believe Green Homes has got the mix right because we are focusing on things that are important, that is the health and well-being of the occupants. “It makes absolute sense that you give that good consideration at the design stage and then throughout the specification of the building. “What we also aim to achieve for our clients is a New Zealand Green Building Council Homestar rating.” Although this requires a higher level of specification than required by the current building code, it creates considerable longterm benefits. Wal believes that in the future all house building companies “will be leaning towards what we are trying to promote right now.” Green Homes’ pre-designed homes range from a modest 98sqm to 375qsm and are a great starting point to help to plan the ideal home for every situation, or houses can be designed completely from scratch. Construction of Green Homes Queenstown’s bespoke 280 square metre, two level show home will be started soon in the Hanley’s Farm subdivision. Highlighting the versatility of Green Homes’ custom design capabilities, the high-specification three double bedroom home will include a large pantry off the kitchen, a media room and fully self-contained one-bedroom unit, seamless indoor-outdoor flow and landscaped outdoor areas. Proudly building healthier homes for New Zealand living Phone 03 344 3126 www.nkwindows.co.nz
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